Blogger Gets Book Deal Through Viral-PR Success

If you've ever doubted the legitimacy of the blog itself, the power of viral marketing as a PR tactic, or the value of bloggers as media contacts, you’ll want to read today’s post.

First week of January 08: Chris Lander, an internet copy writer, launched a tongue-in-cheek site called Stuff White People Like which pokes fun at Caucasian stereotypes. (A favorite entry of mine is “The No. 1 reason white people like not having a TV, is so they can tell you that they don’t have a TV.” Priceless.

Mid-January: The blog moved virally as friends passed the link to each other online and Stuff White People Like saw about 200 hits a day.

End of January: Bloggers picked it up and the publicity buzz began with site visitors jumping to 4,000/day in just 1 week.

Early February: Quoting bloggers, morning drive-time radio and online media talked about Lander's site, delivering 100,000 unique visitors a day.

Mid-February: Wired Magazine, The LA Times and various others reported on the blog’s content and, six weeks from launch, daily visitors hit 300,000.

End of February: The hosts of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” debated whether the site is racist or satire, spawning more media coverage, and Stuff White People Like sees 1.5 million hits.

March 20: Random House announced a book deal for Lander with a paperback scheduled for release in August. Reports put the deal at around $300,000, an unheard of sum for a book spawned from a blog, written by a previously unpublished author.

Now, I’ve always said, the beauty of the web is it allows business to move at the speed of information. This book deal is living proof. In what other medium can one become a global success and a published author in three short months? It’s phenomenal.

And, apparently, it’s the new trend.

The site I Can Has Cheezburger, which features lolcats, (photos of animals with humorous, ungrammatical captions) debuted in January 2007. Three months later, the site had 1.6 million page views and literary agents were calling. After a bidding war, Gotham Books won the deal and the first book hits shelves this November.

The creator of the Skull-A-Day blog, a blog which features images of skulls made from candy, sparklers and other stuff, has a book deal for an October release.

And, the best seller “Julie and Julia,” about a woman who cooked one Julia Child recipe a day, started out as a blog. Likewise, “The Hipster Handbook,” spawned from freewilliamsburg.com in 2003, has sold 39,000 paperbacks, according to Nielsen BookScan.

So, the blogger legitimacy question has taken a new twist as literary agents are now scouring blogs for their next big deal. And, to that I’d like to say, I can be reached through the "Contact Me" links above.

-- my two cents

Holy Viral Marketing, Batman!

In January, I pondered the future of The Dark Knight’s viral marketing/PR campaign after the tragic loss of Heath Ledger. As you may recall, a Hollywood pal of mine confided that he hoped it would continue as planned since, as he said, it would knock my socks off.

At that point, all we'd seen were some teaser posters and texts from Ledger’s character, The Joker.

Well, the second phase of The Dark Knight’s campaign has rolled out and I have to hand it to the folks at 42 Entertainment (to whom Warners subcontracted the marketing), this is undeniably the most comprehensive viral marketing campaign I have ever seen. It was precisely crafted for the fanboy/comic book geek crowd and they are eating it up. The media coverage has been staggering and I imagine it will continue to the film’s release this summer.

Here’s a run-down the rabbit-hole that is The Dark Knight's promotional strategy:

Faux Politics
The new issue of The Gotham Times has been posted and the Harvey Dent campaign website has announced that Harvey is running for DA. The campaign site lacks any references to Batman. In fact, as someone not familiar with the depths of Batman lore, when I first saw the graffiti-laden posters in a theater window display a few months ago, I thought Dent was a movie in its own right and went online seeking it out. The faux political site urges "concerned Gotham citizens" to "take back Gotham City" by backing Dent and organizing faux grass-roots rallies, filming videos and coming out to meet the Dentmobile touring target cities.

Rowdy Real-World Rallies
Further blending the lines between fact and fiction, on March 12, a rally for the fictional DA candidate was broken up by very real and very confused police. Fans had come out to meet the Dentmobile and when police arrived to remove the crowds, the cops seemed genuinely bewildered by volunteers handing out Harvey Dent bumper stickers, buttons and T-shirts.

Opponent Sites
Of course, what would a political campaign be without opponents? Roger Garcetti, acting DA of Gotham City, and Dana Worthington, founder of the Gotham Victims Advocate Foundation have joined in the fray. More info for her can be found at DanaWorthington.com.

Faux News Coverage
Other Gotham-related sites include a Drudge Report mimic called Maiden Avenue Report.

New sites for more Gotham City services including GothamCableNews.com, SaintsWithunsChurch.org and GothamCab.com have also launched. And, of course, there is the CitizensForBatman.org site.

Texts and Voicemails
Harvey Dent and The Joker are using text messages and voicemails to communicate with their supporters.

ARGs
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) including scavenger-hunts and role-playing are also in the mix: a page appeared at whysoserious.com/steprightup with a hammer game and some teddy bear toys. Each toy had an address on it located in a number of cities around the US. The note on the game told people to go to that address and say their name was "Robin Banks” (robin' banks, that’s pretty funny!) and to await further instructions. What they were given was a cake with a phone number written on it. Now here's the best part: inside the cake was an evidence bag (complete with Gotham City Police printing) that contained a cell phone, a charger, a Joker playing card and a note with instructions.

Red Herrings
Various red herring sites have launched to throw people off the trail in the ARGs. I don't know if these are created by the 42 Entertainment or by fans who are playing the game; it's just part of the beauty of the whole thing!

Plot-Point Sites
Another website, www.ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com provides teasers about some connection between the Joker and Two Face that I assume will be explained in the film. (Maybe it’s already known. Again, I’m rusty on my comic book lore.)

ComicCon Tie-Ins
Well aware of their core audience, the marketers put it all out there at San Diego’s Comicon with specially defaced dollar bills with yet another web site’s url. On the site The Joker offered fans the chance to become his henchmen with special prizes for those willing to carry out his demands. These players gathered at a set location (offline) to obtain a phone number that was written in the sky by a plane! From there, they embarked on an elaborate scavenger hunt around the city.

Faux Kidnappings
The Comicon promo ended with a fan being abducted by "thugs" in a Cadillac Escalade and getting symbolically "murdered" by armed men who mistook the player for the Joker.

Whew! So, fellow PR pro/marketer -- what did YOU do today?

Some colleagues have said this is overkill and that by the time the movie hits this summer, people will be sick of it after all this hype. (The campaign began nearly a year ago.) But, the power here is that you have to seek these sites out. You have to be the kind of person who wants to run around town in a text-based scavenger hunt and look up in the sky for clues. For the comic book audience, I cannot imagine a better fantasy come true than to play with the superheroes and villains they love so much. Well done 42 Entertainment! You've set the bar into the stratosphere and made The Blair Witch campaign look like a pageboy hollering, "extra! extra!" on the street corner.

-- my two cents

The Press Release Is Not Dead, It Has Evolved

I saw today that someone on Linked In asked if press releases are dead. As usual, it sparked quite a debate just as it has among PR pros for years. (Google "news release is dead" to see one such debate, which includes the notion that Facebook Walls have replaced the release.) With that in mind, I figured I’d toss out my usual two cents on the subject.

Allow me to state unequivocally: the press release is not dead, quite the opposite, in fact. A solid release can be one of the most useful tools you have if you think strategically and write efficiently.

The value of a good release:

They can deliver significant SEO in driving traffic to your site.

They have a long shelf life within search engines and aggregate sites.

They are still widely used by vertical trades.

They are sometimes reprinted in their entirety, ensuring your message gets out (particularly online).

If your news is of national or international significance, you will get the word out fast.

Consider that a web search can return sites featuring customer complaints. The more you can stock engines with positive news via releases, the better first impression you can make.

A steady stream of releases ensures spider-friendly content that will enhance your page rank.

Online releases can include rich media (videos, podcasts, etc.) which will only further optimize your place among engines and get your message out.

It’s not just for media anymore. Through search engines, consumers now have access to press releases, especially if your headline is “findable.”

Price is no longer a factor. The days of BW and PRN owning all release distribution are gone. Free distribution sites like PRWeb, PR.com and 24/7 are just as effective.

It's in the way that you use it.

We've all heard the adage that people don't read stories, they read headlines. Well, the same is true for a search engine. A good release has a "findable" headline, using only the words that give you a postive ranking. Tools like Google AdWords Key Word and WordTracker are very useful in ensuring you are optimizing every phrase.

Keeping it brief is more critical than ever as some search engines will not accept a release containing more than 500 words (and reporters will appreciate it too!)

The same is true for links. Too many links in a release could be considered spam and will subsequently be denied by search engines. A good rule of thumb is one link for every one hundred words.

Of course, it’s important to remember that a press release is merely a tool and it will never replace one-on-one pitching. Media want a scoop; they don’t want the same news that everyone else is getting. Oftentimes careful, targeted media pitching can be more effective than a mass distributed release. It all depends on the news, the target audience, timing and your end goal.

But for now, I say long live the optimized release!

-- my two cents

My Video Report on This:

Study Shows Thinking Apple Makes You Think Differently

The power of branding has reached a new level, ladies and gentlemen. As some of you know, my favorite example of brand identity is Apple because they are so incredibly consistent with it. Well, a new study shows the forbidden-fruit-folks may be even better than I had imagined. According to Duke University and the University of Waterloo merely thinking about Apple can make you more creative.

Here’s the skinny:

341 university students were told they were taking a "visual acuity test," where they were asked to track a multicolored box on a screen while keeping a tally of numbers that appeared in the center, reports CNET.

Unbeknownst to them, the students were sometimes exposed to either an Apple logo or an IBM logo for 30 milliseconds before the box appeared.

After the test, they were asked to list all the uses for a brick they could think of.

The subjects exposed to the Apple logo averaged 30 percent more brick ideas than their IBM counterparts, according to researchers. An independent set of reviewers also deemed these ideas to be more creative.

Meanwhile, the IBM subjects all had "strikingly similar answers."

While one of the Duke professors involved in the study hesitates to directly link creativity to the use of Apple products, he does conclude that powerful brands can and do affect people's unconscious behavior.

If you read my blog, you probably already believe that brand loyalty impacts our decisions. (If not, you may want to consider a new line of work!) But, this really is pretty cool. To think creative is to be creative.

The study will be published in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

--my two cents

Martha Stewart: Homemaking Maven, MacBook Shill

Charlie Sorrel made a very interesting observation in his Wired Magazine blog yesterday.

In it, he describes a post on Martha Stewart's blog in which she espouses the virtues of the new MacBook Air. Those who know me know I love Martha. Sure, she's flawed, but she's also a super savvy businesswoman who turned her hobbies into an empire. That said, as Charlie notes, her comments sound an awful lot like a Apple press release.

I was so excited when my new MacBook Air arrived the other day. When I opened the box and examined this laptop, I was amazed by how razor thin and how light it is – just .76 of an inch and only 3 pounds. It has a full-size illuminated keyboard, which is terrific for working in a dimly lit car or on an airplane.

And I really love the trackpad, which works in much the same way as the Apple iPhone, giving you many more options by simply moving your fingers. [...] It’s a little difficult to photograph just how thin this MacBook Air is, but you can see for yourself by stopping at an Apple store or checking it out on line at www.apple.com.

Certainly sly celebrity endorsements are nothing new (there is a reason some celebrities are so often seen going in and out of Starbucks), but one would expect a bit more ingenuity from both Apple and Martha here.

Shill –noun. Slang.

1. a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating.

2. a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.

-- my two cents

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" Viral Campaign Hits a Homerun

There’s nothing like blurring the lines between reality and fiction when creating a viral campaign. Add a little bit of mystery forcing your audience to seek out the story and you’ve got a homerun in my book. Take Universal’s new campaign for the movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

It began with vague billboards and banner ads citing random phrases like “My mom always hated you Sarah Marshall” and “You DO look fat in those jeans, Sarah Marshall.” A simple url on the banners was the only clue for the curious.

The url, www.IHateSarahMarshall.com brings you to Peter Bretter’s blog. Peter (played by Jason Segel in the film) explains in his blog entries that he was dumped by Sarah and vows to blog about her every day. The posts are spot-on in their ingenuity and authenticity, right down to Peter insisting he’s not the one calling Sarah at night and hanging up, so she should stop spreading those lies. Beautiful. Pure high school. (Granted, the movie's characters are in their mid-20s, but the sentiment and target audience is not.)

In the film, Sarah (played by Kristen Bell) stars in a crime show on TV. I was thrilled to see on that Universal has launched a “fan site” for Sarah and the show Crime Scene. Questions are raised on the site about her new single status. And, Universal promises more blogs and sites to come.

It's great to see this kind of creativity again. I particularly love the ambiguity of the ads. A few years back I had a lot of fun and success with a curiosity-driven movie campaign and I found the less information I put out there, the more conversation I could spark online. And, that's what it's all about.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall hits theaters April 18th. I will keep you posted as the campaign grows and media coverage builds. Congratulations to everyone at Universal!

-- my two cents

Time Magazine Invents Facts, says Glenn Greenwald

Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com posted this article today alleging that Time Magazine invented facts to claim that Americans support Bush's domestic spying abuses despite several studies, polls and surveys demonstrating the opposite to be true.

Certainly allegations of fake news are nothing new lately. But given the continued debate about blogger credibility versus journalistic integrity, now is not the time for sloppy (or fraudlent) reporting from mainsteam media. (Then again, when is the time for that?)

-- my two cents

Tony Stewart Puts Goodyear in a PR Tailspin

"Goodyear can't build a tire worth a crap," said driver Tony Stewart on Sunday at the Atlanta Speed Motorway about new tires the NASCAR sponsor created specifically for the race. "The tires were made with a harder material so they would not wear down, but that made handling difficult,” said Ed Clark, president of Atlanta Motor Speedway. “Issues with the handling made drivers more cautious and the race less exciting and that disappointed fans.”

A video of Stewart vowing to “go home and take everything that has Goodyear on it off and put Firestones on to feel a lot safer” has been circulating YouTube and fan sites today. Not exactly the kind of result Goodyear expected after paying millions to be the exclusive NASCAR tire sponsor.

So far, there’s only been a non-comment comment from Justin Fantozzi, marketing manager for Goodyear Motorsports who said, "We don't make decisions for any reason but to provide the safest tire."

While it's good to distance themselves from Stewart’s comments. (Directly addressing Stewart would only flame the fire.) With other drivers now joining in the complaints, I'd say Goodyear should quickly explain the specific problem the drivers were having and describe how it will be fixed. Take responsibility. Then action. And, move on.

As far as the success of their sponsorship goes, William Pate, president of marketing at Career Sports & Entertainment in Atlanta, said “NASCAR fans are a loyal lot. Studies show 70 percent buy products associated with the sport and there's a huge gap between second place. It will be interesting to see what comes next."

Added Note: I just want to give props to Jerry Edwards who posted this idea in the comments section: "They should hire Tony as a consultant. He uses their product to make a living. Who better to give Goodyear the guidance they need to make a tire that delights its customers. " I love this idea. Great hay could be made.

-- my two cents

Mark Cuban Bans a Blogger from Maverick's Locker Room

As we continue debating media access for bloggers, an ironic twist has come into play. Mark Cuban, a blogger himself, banned a blogger from the Maverick's locker room for having too much media credibility! Now there is a first!

Tim MacMahon, who writes a blog for the Dallas Morning News was denied entry to the Maverick's locker room over the weekend because of a new policy refusing access to writers whose "primary purpose is to blog."

On his blog today, Cuban says he's not coming down on the citizen journalist. He's calling out traditional media who send in bloggers, instead of feature writers, to get a jump on media companies that don't blog.

"What I didn't like was that the Dallas Morning News was getting a competitive advantage simply because they were the Dallas Morning News. Some out there will take this as my not 'liking' blogs. Ridiculous. its the exact opposite. What I don't like is unequal access. I'm all for bloggers getting the same access as mainstream media when possible. What I'm not a fan of is major media companies throwing their weight around thinking they should be treated differently."

The Dallas Morning News, however, claims this new ban is aimed at MacMahon, whom the paper says was asked to leave the locker room on February 29th after posting a piece that was critical of coach Avery Johnson. MacMahon has been blogging about the Mavericks for the Morning News since 2006.

Banned For Too Much Journalistic Credibility
Usually organizations ban bloggers for not having enough traditional media cred. But denying a major-media-backed blogger just because the Dallas Morning News could publish a story first? Well, that would be like telling TV networks they can't cover an event because they'd scoop print reporters. Or denying CNN an interview because 24/7 broadcasting gives them an unfair advantage over the networks!

Technology changes the game. Always has. Always will. Those who play smart, win. Certainly Mark Cuban, the man who created Broadcast.com, understands this. And, considering that bloggers have been beating traditional media to the punch for years now. Perhaps turnabout should be fair play here.

-- my two cents

See'N'Search New Form of Product Placement

In January, I predicted plinking to be the next big thing in consumer-related new media. Plinking, which stands for product linking, is the act of embedding a product or service link in an online video so viewers can purchase a product directly from the video they are watching. Now, Samsung has launched its own version of plinking with See'N'Search. Their application takes existing plinking away from just the web and onto our TVs as See'N'Search automatically scans TV programming for keywords and generates links that are accessible by jumping to a different menu with the remote – no keyboard and mouse required.

So, while watching your favorite American Idol performance, you can instantly link to the AI web site where you can buy that outfit the judges are so conveniently raving about.

What makes Samsung's application so interesting is unlike plinking, which is limited just to the products on the screen, See'N'Search will pull up information on the actors as well as whatever they are discussing in the show. So, when Kramer says to Jerry, "How can you not like Junior Mints? It's chocolate. It's peppermint. It's very refreshing," viewers will be able to buy some right then and there. Okay they probably won't click on Junior Mints; I just wanted to use that quote. But, for some products this could create a new revenue channel and instant ROI for marketers. Plus, it could enable us to finally measure the difference between sight-line and the more costly scripted product placement.

I also wonder if this would enhance ROI on press coverage. If while watching a broadcast news clip, customers could link to our client's products or services, our campaign measurement would be forever changed.

Samsung hasn't said when See'N'Search will be available to the public. But, I maintain this is going to be a fascinating year for product placement. And I, for one, can't wait to see what's to come!

--- my two cents

Americans Turn to Web For News

According to Reuters - Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news.

While most people think journalism is important to the quality of life, 64 percent are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities, a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll showed.

"That's a really encouraging reflection of people who care A) about journalism and B) understand that it makes a difference to their lives," said Andrew Nachison, of iFOCOS, a Virginia-based think tank which organized a forum in Miami where the findings were presented.

The stats break down like this:

Nearly half of the 1,979 people who responded to the survey said their primary source of news and information is the Internet, up from 40 percent just a year ago.

Less than one third use television to get their news, while 11 percent turn to radio and 10 percent to newspapers.

More than half of those who grew up with the Internet, those 18 to 29, get most of their news and information online, compared to 35 percent of people 65 and older.

Older adults are the only group that favors a primary news source other than the Internet, with 38 percent selecting television.

Howard Finberg, of the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, said the public often doesn't understand that the sources they are accessing online such as Google News and Yahoo News pull stories from newspapers, television, wire services and other media sources.

"It's delivered in a non-traditional form, that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't traditional journalism underneath it," he explained.

But Finberg said the study does support the belief among many large media companies that focusing on local issues is important to their journalistic and economic survival.